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Messages - Old Guy New Hobby

John - I hope I misunderstood you. Most drivers drive by "mental auto-pilot" at least part of the time. That part of the brain responds well to common situations, and poorly to unusual ones. Cyclists are still in the unusual category. We need "be seen" lights to draw the attention of drivers who are thinking about something other than their driving.

I agree with John. On the other hand, two new Michelin Airstop from Amazon is a pretty insignificant expense. I put new inner tubes on when I put new tires on. They out last the tire. I enjoy the piece of mind.

Nobody can tell you what your money is worth. I'm wondering how much gear you take on tour. If you are an ultralight specialist, the difference in bike weight *might* make a difference. If you pack a lot of gear, then what's a few extra pounds.

Personally, at 5-9 and 170#, I'm more concerned with taking some weight off my frame (not the bike).

I agree that one bike won't meet all your stated goals. You might be better off to focus on a touring bike and keep your present bike for the shorter, faster rides. Beyond that ...

Well built steel frames are the tanks of bicycling. Very strong, very heavy. There's nothing wrong with well built aluminum frames. They don't cost significantly more and they are lighter. They are strong enough for all but the most grueling touring. Beyond that, the best things most of us can do to to make the biking package lighter is to carry less gear, and lose some weight by eating better.

You should think about gearing. Road bikes are geared for fast riding. Mountain bikes are geared lower for extreme hills. Many tourers prefer mountain bike-type gearing. It's better for endurance rides (days of 50+ miles/day). It's better for hills. It's better for rides where you are carrying more weight. Think about the riding you do now and what gears you find most useful.

Tire width shouldn't be a big issue. Bikes with connection points for racks typically also include connection points for fenders and also will accept wider tires. I rode the C & O canal before I decided I wasn't all that interested in touring on dirt and gravel roads. I found wider tires are helpful, but more important for riding where the trail can be muddy and rutty is to have some kind of tread to help give a little extra traction. I used a hybrid tire, with a smooth center and treads on the side. If I were to do a lot of road riding but also a significant amount of trails, I would go back to those. But other people in my group rode the C & O trail with narrow street tires.

Finally, you don't have to make an instant decision. You don't have a cross-country trip planned with a deadline start date. You can do some longer rides, see how they work out, develop your knowledge of what you want a little bit. Get off the internet and visit some bike stores. Don't overthink this too much, follow your gut. If you think you like a bike, you probably will. You ride a lot. Use your own experience to guide your decision.

I have a budget and anything left from that budget will go to the cancer foundationLet us know your URL. I know a young man who did a similar ride from East to West. It was an amazing adventure for him. Good luck!

I just bought my first bike with disk brakes and had the same thoughts as you. I finally decided to go with hydraulic because several bike mechanics told me the hydraulics are less trouble. True, you have to bleed them once a year or so. But the reduced pull force allows the rest of the mechanical parts to have less trouble. I don't know how true this is, but the other factor is that the industry seems to be going over to hydraulic. I saw several bikes with disk brakes. None of them were mechanical.

So far as I can figure out, (and again, I don't know how true this is) the downside of hydraulic brakes is that one needs some kind of kit or tool to bleed the system. If you're in the middle of nowhere and both brakes go out on you, you're up the creek.

While I love the performance of my disk brakes, there are some things to be aware of. I was told that if I change a tire, I should never squeeze the brake handle while the wheel is off the bike. The other thing is that I changed the tires on my new bike. (I'm very picky about tires.) When I put the rear wheel on, the disk wasn't centered in the brake caliper assembly. I didn't see an adjustment right off, and the wheel wasn't rubbing, so I went for a ride and I'll look into it later.

I also like SPD cleats. There are plenty of SPD shoes that recess the cleats so you can walk in them. I look for shoes with very stiff soles. The stiff soles spread the force from the pedals across a large area of your foot to prevent "hot spots". The shoes get the clips recessed by placing a border of rubber (or similar) around the edge of the sole. I look for shoes where the rubber is soft and grippy, so the shoes won't be slick if I walk into a store. There are plenty of SPD pedals and shoes, because they are frequently used by mountain bikers. You should be able to get decent pedals and shoes for less than $200.

Make sure you ride in these a good amount before starting your tour. You want your feet to acclimate to the shoes gradually.

When learning to learn how to ride with clipless shoes, there are two kinds of people -- those who have fallen over, and liars. The problem is, you have to remember to clip out before stopping. Most people do OK when they first start. After a while, they think they've got it. Then they lose their focus, forget to clip out, and fall over as they stop. My fall happened next to a car of attractive young women. It hurt my pride. This is just another reason to ride your new shoes a good amount before starting your tour.

Thanks, guys. A few lines from a person actually riding is worth 1000 magazine articles. I ended up getting a Specialized Sirrus Sport Disk. To meet my price point, I had to give up the carbon fork. (My alternate was Cannondale, which is offering carbon fork bikes with rim brakes.) I think I made a good choice with the Specialized. Time will tell.